Track shoe



March 23, 1943. H. A. KNox TRACK sHoE Filed May '7, 1941 Sheets-Sheet 1.

FE-E- mvENToR I- ar 1* y A'- KTLDX L/ff KW/4 ATTORNEYS March 23, 1943.H. A. KNQX 2,314,355

TRACK SHOE Filed May 7,A 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR Harry A Kn 'n WJM R EYS l ATTO Patented Mar. 23, 1943 OFFICE TRACK sHoE Harry A. Knox,Washington, D. C. Application MayV '1, 1941, seria1N0.392,291

8 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention. described hereinmay be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a track for a tracklaying machine. In particularmy invention relates to an improvement in a track which'has protrudinglugs or grousers on the ground side of the track.

The purpose of placing lugs or grousers on the ground side of a trackshoe is to prevent slippage between the track and ground when the trackis used on muddy, sandy or rocky terrain. In use, there is a tendencyfor mud,. dirt, stones,

etc. to be packed in the space intermediate the lugs so that full use isnot made of the biting in action of the lugs or grousers and in theextreme case where the intermediate spacing is completely filled theeffect of the lugs or grousers is nullied.

An object of my invention is to prevent the accumulation of mud, dirt,stones, etc. within the space dened by the sides of the lugs or grousersand the bottom of the shoe.

A further object of my invention is to provide positive means fordislodging any mud, dirt, stones, etc. which is picked up by the trackshoe when the shoe makes contact with the ground.

The nature of my invention and further objects inherent in myconstruction are disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l'vis a plan view of a portion of the lower iiight of a trackconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 2, 4 and 5 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the lower flight of trackdisclosed in Fig. 1 with the driving sprocket in operating position.

Referring to the drawings, the track cornprises a row of shoes Aconnected in spaced relation by means of side links B mounted on linkpins D.

The shoes are all identical and each one has the integrally formed lugsor grousers III. Each one of these lugs has a hardened bearing surfaceII formed integral therewith. The resilient bushings I2 which aredisposed between the pins D and the tubular portion I3 of the shoe frameallow a limited motion between the pins D and the shoe frames.

The perforated web member I4 and the rigid end pieces I5 and I6 serve tospace and hold the semi-tubular members I3 in spaced relationship to oneanother.

Rubber l1 is vulcanized to web I4 and end pieces I5 and I6 and a portionof the rubber I8 extends through the openings I9 in the web memb ers I4.The rubber I1 is sufllciently resilient to allow aslight movement of therubber portions I8 Whenthe lower wheels or the upper wheels of thevehicle are in abutting relationship to the rubber I1. When the upperwheels of the vehicle and the rubber I1 abut, the upper wheels exertsufiicient pressure against the rubber I1 to cause outward movement ofthe rubber portion I8 and the accumulation of dirt, mud, etc. is

' removed without a great deal of difliculty.

The adjoining pins of adjoining shoes are connected together by usingconventional means. The ends of the pins D have slots 20 cuttransversely to the pin axis. The link D has the integrally formedmembers 2| and 22 adapted to hook over the ends of adjoining pins. Thehooking members 2| and 22 are spaced by the rigid flat portion or flange23. A hole 24 in the metal portion 23 is of suflicient size to allow abolt 25 to -pass therethrough. 'I'he bolt 25 has a wedgeshaped head 26which when drawn up by rotation of the nut 21 locks the adjoining pinsagainst relative rotation due to the cooperation between the pin slots20 and the head 26.

Referring to Fig. 3, the driving sprocket 28 connected to a driven shaft(not shown) is adapted to engage the anges 23 of the link members B andthe rigid sprocket portions 28 are spaced to lie between pins on thesame shoe. A recess 29 is made in the abutting surface of the sprocketso as to provide clearance between the bolt 25 and the sprocket 28.

.1. A debris clearing shoe for a track-laying machine comprising twoparallel tubes adapted to hold pins inserted in the tubular sections, arigid extension on each of said tubes and extending outwardly, a web forholding said tubes in spaced relation, an aperture in said web, aresilient material disposed on the upper surface of the web and aportion of the resilient material extending into said aperture, saidaperture having suflicient size and said material having suicientresiliency so as to allow a downward displacement of said portion intothe space defined by the bottom surface of the web and inside surfacesof the rigid relation, an aperture in said web, resilient materialdisposed on the upper surface of the web. a. portion of said resilientmaterial extending into said aperture and movable therein for clearingthe space defined by the lower surface of the web and the insidesurfaces of the rigid extensions.

3. A debris clearing shoe for a track-laying machinecomprising twoparallel tubes adapted to hold pins inserted in the tubular sections, arigid extension on each of said tubes and extending outwardly, a` webfor holding said tubes in spaced relation, rigid plates extending in aplane transverse to the axis of said tubes for connecting theextremities of said tubes, an aperture in said web, resilient materialdisposed on the upper surface of said web and conned within the spacedefined by the upper surface of the web and the inner surfaces of saidplates, and a portion of said resilient material disposed in saidaperture.

4. In a track-laying machine for laying` an endless track, a series ofspaced shoes having bearings, a link pin insertable through each bearingand having a tangential slot adjacent each of its ends, links mounted onthe ends of adjoining pins of adjoining shoes, a flange on each linkprojecting laterally relative to the track, partial bearings on theflangev and engaging the link pins, a bolt having a Wedge-shaped headengageable in the slots of associated link pins and having a shankinsertable through the flange, a nut on the shank bearing against theange and drawing asiasss the head into contactwith the link pins, adriven member Ahaving toothed projections insertable between the linkpins on the same shoe for propelling said series of spaced shoes, saiddriven member being adapted to engage a portion of the outer flangesurface of adjoining links and having a recess between projections forproviding clearance for said bolt. l

5. In a track for track laying vehicles, a track shoe having groundengaging cleats whose ground engaging surface area is substantially lessthan the projected area of the track shoe, inherent means carried by thetrack shoe for ejecting debris which tends to accumulate between cleats,and said means being operable with the motion of the track shoe. 1

6. In a track for track laying vehicles, said track having groundengaging cleats whose `ground engaging surface area is substantiallyless than the projected area of the track, inherent means carried by thetrack for ejecting 'debris which tends to accumulate between cleats, andsaid means being operable with the motion of the track. y

7. The same as in claim 5 and the last recited means comprisesrubber-like resilient means dlsposed between cleats.

8. The same as in claim 6 and the last recited means comprisesrubber-like resilient means disposed between cleats.

HARRY A. KNOX.

